


One More Time

by Jenova



Category: Fruits Basket, Fruits Basket - Takaya Natsuki (Manga)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-08-25 21:25:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16668583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jenova/pseuds/Jenova
Summary: Short stories about the former Zodiac and their family life. Set after the events of the Manga and prior to/during Fruits Basket Another.





	1. Chapter 1

The medical school applications sat on top of her desk, slightly rumpled from being balled up and then flattened out again one too many times. They'd been roughly shoved into her desk drawer once or twice. One had already made its way into the trash can sitting by her leg.

"I can always make copies. I'll just use these as drafts."

The calendar was looming above her like some sort of death clock, ticking away the hours until the deadlines.

It was pushing 1:00 am, and Kinu sat quietly under the glow of a soft yellow lamp mounted on the wall above her desk. There was a light rain tapping on the window. She sat watching some far off street lamp flickering, trying to stay lit as best it could, while twirling a half worn down pencil in her right hand.

"I know the feeling."

The next morning, Kinu woke up earlier than usual to go down and start on breakfast. The morning sun came in through windows, illuminating the entirety of the kitchen. Usually she'd just throw together some toast and orange juice for herself and call it breakfast, but this morning she needed something a bit more sustaining. When she was finished, a modest breakfast sat on the circular glass table with places for 3.

She heard footsteps and voices on the stairs and took a deep breath. Here we go. She took her seat, folding her hands into her lap.

"That's what I told him, but he was insi- what's this?" Mayuko stopped dead in her tracks, almost causing Hatori to fall over her as he was tying his tie. Hand stuck mid-gesture, she glanced at her daughter and continued cautiously down the steps into the kitchen.

"Hey mom, hey dad. I made breakfast! Hope it tastes alright. It's nothing fancy. I'm just glad I didn't burn anything. I do apologize for any stray egg shells, though. Still haven't gotten that down."

Hatori took the scene in slowly moved around to get the chair for his wife. He had a very confused and concerned expression on his face. He was not a fan of surprises. Mayuko shared his confusion, but perked up at the sight of her favorite cup in front of her.

"I thought I smelled coffee! Thanks! I guess? To what do we owe the occasion?"

"Oh, nothing in particular."

Hatori and Mayuko both looked at eachother, highly skeptical but still saying nothing. Hatori took his seat at the table across from their daughter, placing his glasses on the table next to his plate.

"Is... everything okay, Kinu?" he asked.

Kinu waited a moment before taking a deep breath. "Actually, yes. There is something I wanted to say."

"Don't tell me!" Mayuko cut in, "You have a boyfriend!" Her face lit up with glee.

"No." Kinu flatly told her.

Mayuko' face turned from happiness to horror. "You're pregnant?!"

"No." This time from both Kinu and Hatori. She gave her father an appreciative smirk, which he returned. Kinu had grown tired of her mother trying to guess when she'd bring a boy (or girl?) home. As far as she was concerned, that was none of their business. Even if they are her parents.

With another deep breath, she decided it was best to just get it overwith.

"So, you know all those medical school application you had me send in?"

Mayuko immediately reacted and scooted to the edge of her seat with a grin. "Oh my goodness! Have you already gotten a response? Which one?" Hatori had a moment of pride and then quickly smothered it to wait for some elaboration. He was still confused about the whole situation.

"No! No, I haven't gotten a response. I..." She could feel the tears coming on. The acid in the throat. The whole nine yards. Her hands were sweating. She closed her eyes.

"I haven't actually submitted any of those applications."

She looked up. Blinks from both pairs of eyes. Mayuko had a look of complete confusion, like she was still trying to figure out what her daughter was playing at. Hatori glanced at his wife, and then broke the silence.

"You said you had." Oh boy. She had indeed said that. Weeks ago. She'd made a trip to the post office that actually consisted of a walk around the city for a couple of hours thinking about ways to have this conversation. They had even given her the money for the fees. Luckily, she was responsible enough to not spend it.

"I lied."

The smiles were gone. Hatori was frowning, never one to let his emotions show too much, he was clearly troubled by this but still trying to figure out what to say.

"Why would you lie about something like that?", he asked.

"Because, I didn't want disappoint you."

Mayuko spoke up, gently. "You don't need to worry about that. You're a very smart woman, you'll get i-" Kinu immediately cut her off, trying not to drag this out any more. "No, that's not what I mean. I mean... I don't want to go to medical school. I don't want to be a doctor."

"What?" Hatori's tone took a new, but expected turn.

"I don't want to go to med school. I've never wanted to go, but no one ever bothered to ask me. It was always just assumed and-"

In a stern tone that was far too reminiscent of his own father, he cut her off. "Of course it was assumed. This family has been taking care of the Sohma name for gener-"

"And there it is." Kinu threw her hands up in exasperation, rolling her eyes.

Hatori put his hand to his temple and sighed heavily. She had a point. A good one. He wished he could put those words back into his mouth. Hatori immediately began trying to recall every conversation he ever had with his daughter about her future.

"I'm serious, dad. I'm so tired of living my life just to meet other people's expect-" She was starting to get fired up. She definitely did not get her father's cool temperment.

"Kinu," He attempted to interrupt.

"-ations. I want to live my life. I don't want to be a Sohma, I just want to be myself for once." She suddenly found herself with her chin up and hands on the table, half getting out of her seat. She slowly sat back down, and then slouched against the back of the chair, arms crossed.

Mayuko spoke up softly, "We've never forced you to do anything you didn't want to do. We tried to always make sure you were comfortable in telling us when you didn't. Your dad was especially careful about that." "I know, and that is why I'm telling you now I'm not going to med school." There. It was out. There was no misunderstanding, or questioning what she meant. Despite how everything will turn out, that is one huge weight off her shoulders. She can finally burn all those papers and never look at them again.

Hatori managed to reign himself in enough to somewhat calmly ask his daughter, "What do you intend to do instead, then? Not going to school is not an option - despite what your mother just said."

Kinu couldn't stop herself from looking down and staring a hole through the plate in front of her. She felt like she was 7 years old again and being scolded for punching a boy in her class. She couldn't look at them.

"I'm not sure yet, but I think I know what my next step is going to be. I want to move out."


	2. Chapter 2

The snowfall from the night before cast a wonderland look to the Sohma estate this year. It was absolutely pristine in every way. A single set a footprints wound their way up to the door of a home on the inside of the family property. Inside, a man and a woman sat in a secluded rear bedroom of the home. The door was ajar, and inside a loud voice rang out.

"That's not possible. You said it would be impossible!" Rin stared, wide-eyed, at Hatori. She stood across from him, on the brink of tears. He sat in a chair nearest the door, trying to remain as quiet and calm as he could.

In a well practiced tone, he replied. "I said it would be unlikely. I did not say it would be impossible, Isuzu. Even with your past and medical history, you're still a woman."

She slowly sank back onto the bed, sitting on the edge and nearly falling over. Mostly to herself, she muttered, "What do I do? What should I do? What can I do?"

"Well, I suppose the first conversation you should have is with Hatsuharu... assuming he is the father?

"..."

If looks could kill.

He quickly tried to put her back at ease. As much as he could, anyways. "Would you like to speak with Mayu? I'm sure she'd be okay with you asking her questions." Indeed, it hadn't been that long since they'd had their own surprise.

"I... no. The fewer people who know the better."

She needed to think. She needed to be alone. Too many people knew already, and somehow that too many included herself.

"I understand. I'll be here if you need anything. Take some time to yourself. You're free to leave anytime, of course."

Hatori got up to give her some time alone. As he turned to close the door, she found her voice again.

"You won't tell anyone?"

"No, I won't. You have my word."

She scoffed internally. She still did not trust anyone apart from herself and Haru. Maybe Kazuma. Definitely not anyone who stood by and did Akito's bidding for so long.

She sat quietly on the edge of the bed inside the small spare bedroom in Hatori's home. She'd always been irregular, there was no hint there. She could hardly remember a time when she was feeling well, so the nausea went unnoticed at first. Eventually it got so bad Hatsuharu threatened to take her to a hospital and have her checked out. She grudgingly agreed to visit Hatori instead, but refused to let Hatsuharu accompany her. Now she sat there, alone, contemplating her future.

"How could I be so stupid. How?"

A child. A baby. Her childhood memories only brought pain. Heart-wrenching pain that made her body ache just thinking about it.

"No. No, no, no...", she sobbed quietly to herself for some time.

Then, there was something else.

The smallest of light. The tiniest flicker of a flame. Hidden deep. A young girl, happy and loved. Playing with her dolls and scribbling in her coloring book. Tea parties with her mother and dress up with her stuffed animals. Her father brushing her hair and telling her bedtime stories. The warm feeling of being loved... of sitting down as a family and enjoying a meal.

Later she would learn that her version of this was all a fake, fairy tale world, but..

"What if?"

What if that type of world could really exist?

Now, instead of remembering the her father yelling at her, she saw Hatsuharu's kind face smiling down at her.

*flash*

Haru brushing the long black hair of a little girl.

*flash*

Haru teaching a young boy how to stand properly in preparation to throw a punch.

*flash*

Haru quietly reading a bedtime story to a toddler.

*flash*

Haru.

She was absolutely terrified.

"And yet...", She thought.

Maybe...

with Haru by her side,

Just maybe...

she could still have her fairy tale.


	3. Chapter 3

Particles of chalk dust floated lazily in the heat of a recently vacated classroom. Loud voices could be heard outside as students rushed to make their way home before the storm clouds in the distance arrived. Chizuru was surpised to discover he was the first person to arrive. He set down his bag in the far corner of the room and began to arrange the desks before fetching several boards and boxes containing a multitude of small white and black round game pieces. Other students began to arrive, some he recognized from previous years, chatting and laughing as they entered. Among them were a few nervous first years, quietly taking a seat at random places around the room while the older students helped Chizuru set everything out. One of the girls he recognized from last year tore a sheet of notebook paper and posted it near the door. Each of the students in the room formed a line to sign up, greeting old friends and welcoming new students.

_"GO CLUB"_

_Ishihara Tatsuya_

_Masatoshi Hiro_

_Sohma Shiki_

_Mishima Aiko_

_"Shiki Sohma, huh? Man, we really are everywhere."_

It didn't take long for Chizuru to spot the young student across the room, mostly because this "Shiki" kept averting his gaze everytime he tried to catch his eye. The younger, black haired Sohma sat in one of the chairs closest to the door. It was obvious to Chizuru that he was deliberately avoiding him, so naturally he found the first opportunity to corner his junior while the other members of the club were playing, watching people play, or socializing.

"What is it?", Chizuru quietly hissed at the younger student.

"Huh?", Shiki looked a bit surprised to be confronted head on like this. Chizuru was a little proud of himself.

"What do you want, why do you keep staring at me?", he questioned.

"It's nothing." Shiki tried to shake it off and attempted to walk past the older student, but Chizuru was determined.

"Obviously it's something. If something's bothering you, why don't you just spit it out already?"

Shiki took a moment to carefully consider his next words. "I wondered if maybe you'd be interested in a game?"

Chizuru lost handedly for the first time in a long time. By the end of the match, he decided maybe this Sohma kid might be worth getting to know. If anything, at least he was good competition. Club ended quickly and Shiki had made a discreet exit amongst all the other loud and chatty teenagers. Chizuru collected his belongings and left the room. He looked around but Shiki was nowhere to be found. Clearly he'd left in a hurry.

Chizuru played many games with his new schoolmate over the next few weeks, although he was starting to feel a bit odd about the fact that neither of them had brought up their families. Obviously they were related, and the Sohma family is quite well regarded. He thought one of them might have mentioned something by now. Chizuru was perfectly happy not mentioning anything about his family, as they were a source of infinite embarassment at times. Shiki was also surprised to find someone who hadn't immediately questioned him about his family. It was a bit of a relief, if he was being honest with himself. The moment anyone found out he was the next heir of the family, everything would change.

It was a breezy June day when Shiki sought out Chizuru in the bustle before the first bell to return a book he'd borrowed the week before. Chizuru's parents were out for the week and his sister Hibika came up with the grand idea to create a wonderful feast at home. While Chizuru knew this was probably going to be a spectacularly failed attempt to recreate something she saw on TV, he thought it might be a good opportunity to invite Shiki over without his parents being around to embarass him. Shiki didn't seem like the type that would handle big social gatherings very well, so they decided to keep it small. Hibika agreed, and then naturally invited their cousin Mutsuki, as well as Hajime, Rio, Kinu, Sora, and Riku.

"What part of small includes 6 other people?!" Chizuru shouted at his sister when she rattled off all the people she'd invited.

"Well, if he's your friend he may as well just meet everyone, right? Right?! Who is he anyways?"

"A Sohma like us. Shiki Soh-"

"...we know him, Chizu."

"What? Maybe you do, but I don't!"

"You seriously don't remember? He's our cousin. We just haven't seen him in a long time. He's also the heir of the family." Hibika's tone became serious. "I'm not saying don't be friends with him. I'm just saying we need to be careful."

"Careful of what, exactly?" It annoyed him when his sister got unnecessarily worried about him. "I'm not going to walk on eggshells just because his mom is the head of the family. Why haven't we seen him at new years then?"

"We have. You just don't pay attention. He's always quiet and he's always right next to his mom and dad."

"Uncle Shigure is his dad, then?"

"Yup. So you know how high up he is. Just keep that in mind."

"Things were easier when I didn't have to."

Rio had to decline his invitation as he was behind on his homework again and failing his literature class. His mother was okay with him going, but his father ultimately said no. Hajime and Mutsuki were both going to Mutsuki's house to work on a student council project. They were annoyingly responsible sometimes. Kinu had a paper due the next morning that she hadn't started on, so she also had to decline but offered to host the next feast at her place. Luckily, Sora and Riku were excited about potentially free food, and offered to host at their house. Their parents were out for the evening and so it would work out perfectly.

Shiki told his parents he was going to a friend's house after school. The stunned silence coming from his mother was enough to make him almost change his mind.

"He'll be fine, Aki. He'll be fine. You go, have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't! Do you need a ride there? Who is this friend? Where did you meet? Is it a... girl?"

"No, I will walk. And... I'll be fine. We're just going to eat and then I will call you to come get me if that's okay?"

"Don't want them to know where you live?", Shigure asked.

"Not really, no." Shiki confessed.

"Well, can you tell us where they live? You can't think we're just going to let you wander out in the world all by yourself..." Akito had finally found her voice. She worried over him so much sometimes. Shiki knew that it was just natural for a mother to be worried, but sometimes he wondered if it wasn't just because he was the heir to the family.

"Uhh yeah. Here's their address."

He handed them a small piece of paper with an address written on it. It looked vaguely familiar to them, but neither Akito nor Shigure could immediately place it.

Chizuru and Shiki accompanied Chizuru to the store to pick up the ingredients for dinner. They headed over to Sora and Riku's place and got there just as the sun began setting. The property was a pretty good size, Shiki noted. The architecture was a little more modern that what he was used to at home, but he could appreciate it just the same.

"Sure took your time! We are soooo hungry!" Sora ran out to greet them.

"Shiki, this is Sora Sohma. Her brother is right over there. That's Riku." Hibika introduced them while they removed their shoes. "Sora and Riku, this is Shiki. He's a Sohma too!" Hibika opted to omit the extra information this time around. After the discussion with Chizuru she realized that maybe things just went better if they didn't act different around Shiki. Chizuru doesn't often befriend people, and she didn't want to complicate things for her brother. She hoped Sora and Riku wouldn't do anything to get themselves in trouble. Shiki did seem rather timid, so she felt it was a risk worth taking.

The five of them all enjoyed a nice evening of cooking ("I can't believe it, but this is actually edible." "Thanks Chizu- wait what do you mean you can't believe it!?") and talking. It had been awhile since they'd really gotten a chance to hang out, what with school and after school clubs. They also had to mind the store from time to time while their parents took occasional trips.

"It's hard to believe there's a Sohma our age we haven't met. I feel like we have so many cousins! We're so lucky to live in a big, happy, family!" Sora was very enthusiastic about meeting Shiki. She had a feeling they would get along wonderfully.

Shiki laughed nervously. He knew of Chizuru and Hibika, having met them before at the new years banquets. For some reason, he'd only ever caught glimpses of the twins before today. It just seemed like they were never in the same area at the same time. He wondered for a moment if it was deliberate.

The sun had long since set and the moon was high in the sky when Hatsuharu and Isuzu arrived home from their night out. Haru went into the living area and was surprised to find Riku and Chizuru sitting at the table.

"Decide to have company over tonight?" Haru asked his son.

"Well, we were hungry", Riku shrugged.

Rin followed him in. Out of the kitchen walked Hibika, Sora, and...

Shiki.

Hatsuharu and Isuzu both froze. They shared identical looks of shock on their faces.

"Hi mom, hi dad! This is Shiki. He's friends with Chizu and Hibika and came over with them to have dinner!" Sora smiled.

Neither Haru or Rin registered a single word she said.

"Hello Shiki. How are you this evening?"

Shiki knew immediately that they recognized him. Suddenly, it was time to be the Sohma heir again. He was a little bit sad about that.

"I'm very well, thank you. Excuse me, I need to make a call." Shiki stepped into the next room for a few minutes.

Rin and Haru exchanged dark glances. Of all the kids to find at the house this evening, Akito's son? Rin hadn't fully gotten over her treatment at the hands of Akito. She knew that Akito had changed. Years had gone by since the last incident, yet they were still cold towards eachother. They'd each long since accepted that some wounds would never fully heal. They made a point to avoid them at every new year's banquet, without being overly obvious about it. They didn't want their past to color their children's opinions of their aunts, uncles, and family members.

They'd made that decision, now it was being put to the test.

Shigure arrived not long after to pick Shiki up from the house. It dawned on him immediately upon turning into the driveway just whose house he would be picking his son up from.

Rin and Haru waited in the kitchen while the kids had gone into the living room when the knock came at the door.

"Hello Sensei." Haru greeted Shigure at the door. Rin stood beside him, expression unreadable. She still wasn't sure how she wanted to handle this. She knew Shiki was a sheltered child, he probably didn't have many friends. It's not his fault he was born. Maybe it was time to let some things go. Not all things, but some.

"Haru. Rin." Shigure acknowledged them. Under his breath he muttered with a smile, "You know you can stop calling me that..."

"It was a deal."

"What are you guys whispering about?" Sora had made her way to the entryway followed by all the other kids.

Shigure picked his son out of the crowd and flashed him a smile.

"Making new friends, are we? I'm glad. Let's go home."


	4. Chapter 4

Shiki stared idly into the fountain on the back patio of the Sohma property he'd come to visit with his parents. The hot summer temperature was beginning to recede as the sun began to set for the evening. The alley behind the house was empty except for a single red tabby cat slinking between a wrought iron gate to make its evening rounds.

The muffled sounds of women bickering caught his attention. It was coming from an upstairs bedroom where, no doubt, an overzealous Hibika must have cornered Kinu again in a futile effort to dress her up.

Shiki allowed himself a small smile. The thought of his elder cousin trussed up looking like a doll brought him a little bit of amusement. While he didn't particularly look forward to coming over here, he couldn't deny that each trip was eventful even if a tad exhausting. 

"Hey," Chizuru had stepped out of the home that doubled as a shop to visit with Shiki a bit. The adults were all inside visiting after finishing a marvelous dinner by Chiru's mother.

"Hi." Shiki turned to see a sour look on Chiru's face. "Is there trouble?"

"Isn't there always in our house? I wish they'd just tone it down for 5 seconds. Maybe pretend to be normal for a day. Why is that so much to ask?"

Shiki couldn't blame him. Did they ever just... relax? Quietly?

As if reading his mind, Chiru continued. "The only time dad really calms down is when he's around mom and they're being all... lovey. It's a little sickening to watch, I suppose, but at least I know they love eachother."

Shiki nodded. He was mostly used to it. His dad would bring him over here sometimes when he was younger, but his mother definitely took every opportunity to "accidentally" make double plans. Shiki couldn't help but wonder if maybe Auntie Mine tried to dress his mom up once or twice? 

*********************************************

"What's this?"

As they approached the inner door, Akito bent down to retrieve a small envelope with brilliant gold lettering on the front.

"It's addressed to us," Akito observed.

"Well, open it?" 

Shigure had that knowing look in his eye. Akito was not fond of surprises, having been teased and toyed with by Shigure for far too long.

"Do you know what it is?" She questioned him.

"I think I have an idea..."

Inside was an equally gorgeous card with another folded envelope and... an invitation. On the corner of the paper there was a stamped seal that was immediately recognizable.

"Ayame..."

Shigure smiled softly. "I thought so."

"It's a wedding invitation. Who is he intending to wed? Himself? I wouldn't be surprised." Akito mused to herself more than anything else.

"Now now, she happens to be a very lovely lady and a perfect fit for him if I say so myself." 

Akito stood in the doorway holding the invitation. She'd had no idea. A brief moment of some indiscernable feeling passed through her. Shigure had known. Who else knew and deliberately concealed this information from her? Hatori? Yuki? She had avoided the snake for so long. Being in the same room with him was exhausting, and yet... they had shared the pain of being bound by the same mysterious chains. He cried alongside Shigure, Hatori, and Kureno on the day she was conceived. Whether he admitted it or not, he did care. He cared what she thought. He feared her.

"Are we going?" Shigure asked cautiously. She knew what he meant. He meant 'are you going?'

"At the very least, you should give them your blessings..." Shigure paused for a moment, and then slowly continued, "unless you're aren't going to allow the marriage, of course." He finished quietly.

She hadn't even though about that. The damned snake didn't even ask her.

But who can blame him, she supposed.

There was nothing to fear anymore.

"Yes, I will go and yes, I would like to give them my blessings in person. Let's meet them next week." Akito wasn't feeling excited about the visit, but she was trying to do her best in turning a new leaf. Small steps.

She would never be prepared for what awaited her that evening. Akito adamantly refused all attempts by Mine to get her into anything other than what she came in wearing. Surprisingly, Mine did not put up much of a fight. 

"Aya probably asked her to tone it down" Shigure thought to himself, a little surprised.

It was a short visit. 

The next day, another small box arrived. The box was boring and completely modest, with not so much as a tag on it.

 

 

The contents, however, were anything but.


	5. Chapter 5

Hajime tore a page out of his spiral notebook and then hastily shoved the binder into his bookbag as he exited the classroom at the final bell. Folding the sheet of paper into a small square, he made his way to his locker. As he slid on his shoes, he removed the small umbrella from the large pocket on the side of his bag and frowned at the big windows that lined the school entrance. The spring rains hadn't let up all day and he still had a bicycle ride to look forward to. He waved goodbye to some classmates and made his way to the bicycle racks outside. Umbrella tucked between his chin and shoulder, he removed the plastic bag he'd tied over the bicycle seat in an effort to keep it dry and hopped on.

Hajime exited the school grounds and rode a few blocks down to the small grocery on the corner which he often stopped at on the way home from school. Inside, he was greeted by a middle aged heavy set woman with a kind smile and greying hair.

"Welco- Oh! Hello, Hajime. I'm afraid the weather is quite dreadful today," she commented as he left his umbrella by the entrance.

The shopkeep knew that he tended to be out of sorts on rainy days, and decided to leave him to his own devices instead of making further conversation. The boy was generally very sweet natured, but we all have our good and bad days.

Hajime raced past the grocer who was working in the back and grabbed some fresh ginger. He returned to the register and pulled out some money to pay.

"Thank you very much for your purchase!" she smiled at him.

Hajime grabbed the small bag which contained the fresh ginger and turned to leave.

"Oh my, what's this?"

He turned to find the woman unfolding a small piece of paper. In his haste, it had gotten mixed up with the money he'd given her.

Warmth welled up in her eyes as she smiled at the young man before her.

"Yes, this looks right. Keep it simple." She gave him a friendly pat on the head.

"Thank you." Hajime smiled and hopped back onto his bike trying to race the weather home.

The rain was still steady but ominous black clouds were slowly drifting in over the area. He needed to get home and fast before the bottom dropped out.

* * *

 

"I'm home!"

"Hajime!"

A small boy in an elementary uniform raced towards him as Hajime scooped him up in his arms before having an opportunity to remove his shoes. He tried kicking his shoes off since his hands were full and managed to get one before his leg was grabbed by a small wobbly toddler.

"Haha! They love you too much to let you through the door!" his mother smiled as she came into the foyer. She scooped up the little girl who was determinedly attached to Hajime's left leg and then brushed Hajime's hair from his eyes.

"Welcome home."

"I'm glad to be home. Where's dad? Is he working tonight?" Hajime asked as he walked into the living room and sat down. His little brother was already halfway through telling him about the new foreign student in class at lightning speed. They were used to this and sometimes just had to talk over him to have a conversation.

"He is off with your grandpa for the evening helping Kunimitsu with some repairs to the old dojo. He will be back tomorrow morning. The roof sprang a leak with all this rain and you know those buildings require a lot of upkeep. Grandpa isn't quite managing as well as he used to", Tohru explained.

His little sister had already climbed into his lap the moment he sat down and rested her head against his chest, holding onto her favorite stuffed cat - a gift from auntie Kagura.

"Mom, I know you're not feeling well. You said it yourself this morning. I can't believe dad just left you. Jeez, that guy. Really..."" Hajime frowned.

Tohru smiled at her son, "I can manage just fine for one night. Your father didn't want to leave, but I insisted he go. We have to help our parents too when they get old, you know!"

"Will grandpa move in with us?" his little brother piped up. "I want grandpa to move in with us so I can see him everyday!"

"We don't know yet." Tohru said, with a small cough.

"Mama 'kay?" the little girl in Hajime's lap asked in the tiniest voice.

"Mom, go upstairs and rest. I will take care of things tonight", Hajime said feeling not as brave as he sounded.

"Are... you sure?" Tohru asked. She wouldn't usually let sickness keep her down but she had been working hard all day and could use the rest. After all, Hajime was not a little boy anymore. "Well then, I will go take a shower and go to bed. Dinner is already almost finished, give it another 30 minutes or so. And don't forget to make them brush their teeth. Your brother has been trying to get out of it lately."

His brother looked bashful for a moment, until his mother looked away. Then he grinned quite mischievously. Hajime shook his head at him.

Tohru hesitantly climbed the steps and went to take a bath and get some rest.

* * *

 

Dinner almost ended up on the floor, but Hajime was able to salvage most of it. His brother, of course, begged to watch the latest Mogeta movie before bed, Mogeta XXIII The Final. He'd been going on and on about it for 2 weeks now and Hajime finally gave in. As he and his brother sat on the couch finishing the movie, Hajime looked over and saw his sister laying down with her head on a cushion, clutching her cat plush. He realized it had gotten quite a bit later than their usual bedtime, and turned off the tv as soon as the credits started.

To his surprise, not a single objection was raised during bath time about who was using what toothpaste. Usually, his little sister wanted whatever toothpaste his brother had and of course, his brother was not big on sharing his favorite flavor (watermelon).

Bedtime consisted of 2 separate runs to the kitchen to refill water, 1 change of clothes (after his sister spilled her water), 1 trip to the bathroom because his brother "forgot" to go, and a moment of panic when his sister left her cat plush in the bathroom and Hajime tore around the house looking for it.

With a heaving sigh he finally managed to get them tucked in and turned to close the door when he heard,

"Ha-me book? Book?"

"Okay then." Hajime surrendered and walked back into the bedroom, grabbing a book from the night table between the two twin beds.

"Once upon a time, God held a banquet for all the animals..." Hajime started.

"Not this one again..." his brother said, rolling his eyes.

"Well you don't have to listen!" Hajime snapped. Scooting closer to his sister he continued, "and God said to all the animals, don't be late!"

* * *

"Goodnight" he whispered as he got up to leave. His brother had already fallen asleep and his sister quietly waved bye-bye as he snuck out.

Hajime slowly went down the stairs so as not to wake anyone up, and made his way to his abandoned backpack in the front foyer. He was absolutely exhausted.

_I can't believe she does this everyday,_ he thought to himself.

From his bag, he grabbed the ginger and headed for the kitchen with the small piece of paper in hand. Glancing at it he silently read the instructions:

_Ginger Tea_

_2 tsp grated ginger_  
_2 tsp sugar_  
_2/3 c hot water_

_"For those suffering from the common cold and other ailments"_

He made a cup and set it on a tray to take upstairs. As he took the first step up, he stopped and turned around. He tore off a piece of paper from the recipe and grabbed a pen from a nearby drawer. In his best handwriting he wrote,

 

 

_"Thanks, mom."_


End file.
